I have weird starting issues with my car | |
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User ID: 77160280 United States 01/17/2020 04:27 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I turn the key, all the dash lights come on, I try to start it and nothing happens. No sound, just all the lights go off on dash. Try again and starts no problem on the second attempt. This has happened three times in the last few days. I have a 98 Saturn SC2. My battery is only a month old and I don't think it's a battery issue. Could this be a bad ignition switch? My ignition lock cylinder is going bad as I have to play around with the key sometimes to get it out the ignition. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 76304482 Sounds like either your starter's going or your alternator. You can test your alternator easy enough. Ignition switch is possible too but that's usually the last thing. (Btw, do you let a bunch of keys/weight dangle from your ignition switch? If so, that's what's causing that. Get you a keyring that separates so you can put in only the ignition key so you don't have all that weight bearing down on it) |
ET SF
User ID: 78296668 United States 01/17/2020 04:31 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
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Anonymous Coward User ID: 4142105 United States 01/17/2020 04:34 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 76304482 United States 01/17/2020 04:36 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
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Anonymous Coward User ID: 77235068 Japan 01/17/2020 04:38 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 42079668 United States 01/17/2020 04:39 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | double check your battery terminals, make sure they are good and tight make sure the wire crimping on the end is good as well and the ends don't pull off other than that it sounds like ignition switch going out to me. |
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Anonymous Coward User ID: 78355130 United States 01/17/2020 04:47 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
1guynAz
User ID: 2229693 United States 01/17/2020 04:49 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78355130 United States 01/17/2020 04:49 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78355130 United States 01/17/2020 04:49 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78355130 United States 01/17/2020 04:50 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78205971 United States 01/17/2020 04:51 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I turn the key, all the dash lights come on, I try to start it and nothing happens. No sound, just all the lights go off on dash. Try again and starts no problem on the second attempt. This has happened three times in the last few days. I have a 98 Saturn SC2. My battery is only a month old and I don't think it's a battery issue. Could this be a bad ignition switch? My ignition lock cylinder is going bad as I have to play around with the key sometimes to get it out the ignition. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 76304482 Relay first. Also check contact areas for rust. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 58514649 Canada 01/17/2020 04:53 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78356571 United States 01/17/2020 04:54 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | You have one of two things , a loose or corroded main electrical connection or a starter which is shorting to ground when you crank. My guess is the bad connection. A problem with the ignition switch would not erase the radio memory, the power to the radio's memory is independent of the switches position. I would check the ground straps from the engine to firewall and battery to frame, as well as the connections from the battery positive to the main power distribution box. Most likely the bad connection will be very hot after cranking for some period of time, and this is one way of finding it. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78356571 United States 01/17/2020 04:58 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Sounds like a combo problem I bet. Quoting: 1guynAz Battery cable and connectors need cleaning and resetting and the ignition switch. he has a new battery a month old likley this is the area of the problem Probably replaced the battery believing the battery was the cause of this or some other electrical problem and it didn't help, though he didn't say that. If the power to the radio preset memory is erased it means the main electrical power distribution is failing, because this circuit does not go through any of the cars switches or relays, it is direct to the battery more or less. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 77376498 United States 01/17/2020 05:03 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | On "modern cars( gms anyway) the key is not connected directly to the starter solenoid(like it usedto be). The key switch puts 12v on various computer inputs Which tells the computer you "want to start the car." The computer then grounds the coil of the "starter relay" in the fuse box under the hood. This starter relay puts 12v on the starter solenoid (on the starter motor). My Chevy badged R.v. Intermitently had a similar issue. (Sometimes)I had to turn the key multiple times or wiggle it just righ for the starter motor to kick in..Then it would work for weeks. I changed the ignition switch contact block twice. So it was not the contacts. but the contact block is switched through a gear in the key cylinder housing on the steering column. I think the gear in the key cylinder may have been loose on the shaft or sloppily worn preventing the key from turning far enough to make that "start " contact. The starter worked fine if I went straight to the starter solenoid with 12v. You really should take it to a "good" diagnostics shop. I'm a pretty experienced electro-mechanical technician and It repeatedly kicked my butt I finally sold it cheap.(fully disclosing the issue and my "backup" (emergency starting fix). |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78355828 United States 01/17/2020 05:05 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | You need to ask a tech that is overly familiar with your car. Maybe post on a Saturn forum your problem and get responses from individuals that are around your vehicle often. Guessing will cost you time and money and no one here will give you accurate advise. I am a 30 year manufacturer specific tech and would not guess what's wrong with your car as I am not familiar with Saturn vehicles. You could ask a Saturn tech and they may know exactly what's wrong without ever touching your car. Trust me |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78144729 United Kingdom 01/17/2020 05:07 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78350608 United Kingdom 01/17/2020 05:10 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Solenoid [link to www.reference.com (secure)] |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78356571 United States 01/17/2020 05:15 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | On "modern cars( gms anyway) the key is not connected directly to the starter solenoid(like it usedto be). Quoting: Anonymous Coward 77376498 The key switch puts 12v on various computer inputs Which tells the computer you "want to start the car." The computer then grounds the coil of the "starter relay" in the fuse box under the hood. This starter relay puts 12v on the starter solenoid (on the starter motor). My Chevy badged R.v. Intermitently had a similar issue. (Sometimes)I had to turn the key multiple times or wiggle it just righ for the starter motor to kick in..Then it would work for weeks. I changed the ignition switch contact block twice. So it was not the contacts. but the contact block is switched through a gear in the key cylinder housing on the steering column. I think the gear in the key cylinder may have been loose on the shaft or sloppily worn preventing the key from turning far enough to make that "start " contact. The starter worked fine if I went straight to the starter solenoid with 12v. You really should take it to a "good" diagnostics shop. I'm a pretty experienced electro-mechanical technician and It repeatedly kicked my butt I finally sold it cheap.(fully disclosing the issue and my "backup" (emergency starting fix). Your problem is totally different from ops. it is obvious your problem was with the ignition switch not sending to the starter relay, since everything worked normally when you bypassed it directly to the starter relay. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 26740933 United States 01/17/2020 05:37 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I turn the key, all the dash lights come on, I try to start it and nothing happens. No sound, just all the lights go off on dash. Try again and starts no problem on the second attempt. This has happened three times in the last few days. I have a 98 Saturn SC2. My battery is only a month old and I don't think it's a battery issue. Could this be a bad ignition switch? My ignition lock cylinder is going bad as I have to play around with the key sometimes to get it out the ignition. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 76304482 Could be the ignition switch. Also, could be the fuel pump and filter. If the filter is clogged it is difficult for the gasoline to flow. A good way to check that? After your car has been off for a while and the motor is cold, put the key in the ignition, turn it to the position right before it starts to crank (don't crank) and all the way back 4-6 times. After the last time, try to crank it. Do this process slow as you are giving the fuel a chance to start to flow. After the last turn of the key, crank it. If it cranks up, it's your pump and/or filter. If not, it's probably starter and or alternator. At AutoZone they check both for free. U just have to take them off and take them up there. Just a couple of screws nothing impossible. When u take off alternator memorize the pattern of the belt though. Take a picture beforehand. Hope u get it figured out. But do the false crank before u decide to remove the starter/alternator for testing. Don't want to do more work than you have to. |
Mental Case
User ID: 78142333 United States 01/17/2020 05:42 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I have a chip in my key...the truck wont start until it reads that chip. I had the same problem you are talking about...I started putting the key in & waiting 1 second before trying to start it...problem solved. If I am going to be damned...I am going to be damned for who I really am! |
Nonentity
User ID: 77013656 United States 01/17/2020 05:44 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | You're having a voltage drop for that to happen. Weak battery, yes it is a strong possibility. Even more so since it's not very old. Could be a bad battery. Loose connections another possibility. But that's a very strong clue, radio reset. Means your voltage is dropping. Too much draw from a partial short or a battery that can't provide enough amps or is weak/bad. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 78224024 Canada 01/17/2020 05:51 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I turn the key, all the dash lights come on, I try to start it and nothing happens. No sound, just all the lights go off on dash. Try again and starts no problem on the second attempt. This has happened three times in the last few days. I have a 98 Saturn SC2. My battery is only a month old and I don't think it's a battery issue. Could this be a bad ignition switch? My ignition lock cylinder is going bad as I have to play around with the key sometimes to get it out the ignition. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 76304482 Its goes in threes with keys. Starter Battery Alternator |